


The Blessed Sleep of Cats & the Blessed Wakefullness of Dogs

by BardicRaven



Series: Retail Magicks [1]
Category: Belsomra "Cats and Dogs" Commercial
Genre: Gen, Insomnia, Sleep, Waking, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 00:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13135527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardicRaven/pseuds/BardicRaven
Summary: When you're weary and you can't manage anything like a normal sleep cycle, come down to the Athame Store and they'll get you fixed right up.





	The Blessed Sleep of Cats & the Blessed Wakefullness of Dogs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arbarkati](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arbarkati/gifts).



Anna walked up to the front door of The Athame Store a little nervously. She’d been avoiding this trip – once made, this decision wasn’t easy to undo, and besides, she hated relying on other people with a passion – no matter how many feet they had or didn’t have.

But she’d recently had it pointed out to her by her doctor – someone she actually respected, someone who managed to both listen to her and get her moving on the right tracks for her health by some miracle of the Universe that Anna didn’t feel the need to question – that she needed to balance her sleep cycle – to have one, as it was pointed out bluntly – and that if she didn’t do so – and soon – there was no telling what the consequences would be, save that they universally would be ones she wouldn’t like.

So here she was, at a local home goods store that was so much more on the inside, preparing to change her life forever by purr-chasing a pair of Consciousness Critters – a Wake Dog and Sleep Cat duo. They weren’t actually animals – more animated ideas of animals – but they still served the same purr-poses. They still loved their owners, they still got them both moving and still as circumstances required, they still purred and meowed and barked and growled just like their non-magickal counterparts.

But they did have a few advantages – in addition to their powers over sleep and wakefullness, they also didn’t require a lot of the basic maintenance that more traditional pets did. They didn’t need to be fed or watered, they did not need to have special set-ups for relieving themselves, and while they enjoyed being played with and petted, they did not require it for their mental health the way more traditional pets did.

They also neither aged nor died, but continued on as long as they had a purr-pose.

Purr-fect for the upwardly mobile professional always on the go-go-go, to the point that they couldn't remember how to stop-stop-stop.

Like Anna. Which was why she was here.

She pushed open the door and made herself go in.

She’d made the decision. All of them. And now she was going to deal with the consequences like a real grown-up lady.

She was. Really.

She forced herself to walk towards the ‘Consciousness Critters’ section.

One foot in front of the other.

Step by step.

Closer and closer.

Her heart felt like it would beat its way out of her chest. She was feeling so many things at the moment – angry, sad, scared.

She almost turned around and walked out.

She could find another way before the stress of not sleeping well got to her.

Really. She could. The fact that she hadn’t before? Well, that was just bad timing. She’d do it this time. Really she would. Just as soon as she got home, in fact.

As she picked up her foot to start turning around, a voice came toward her.

“May I help you?”

She put her foot back down. “Uhm, yes?” she said in a voice that she barely recognized as her own. A young man of middle-height, middle-brown hair, middle-brown eyes, middle-brown skin appeared in front of her.

He stood there, waiting patiently, then finally, “Yes…?” in a prompting sort of way.

“Oh!” She jumped a little, berating herself for woolgathering. “Yes. Help. Uhm, yes. I could use some.” With that all figured out, she waited for the young man’s response, confident that he could help her.

“What kind of help?” he asked gently, patiently. She could have kissed him, except that would have likely been seen in entirely the wrong light.

“I am here,” she said, forcing the words out around her nervousness, “for a pair of Consciousness Critters.”

“Ah, I understand. Do you have a preference on what species?”

She looked at him, startled. “There’s a choice?”

“Sleep Cats and Wake Dogs are the most common,” he confirmed. “But they are not the only ones. Anthropomorphic Purr-sonifications such as Consciousness Critters can come in nearly any form. Depending on your living situation, available space, that sort of thing.”

“Ah.” She considered for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I think that a Sleep Cat and Wake Dog will be just fine.”

The young man held out his hand, showing her the way. “Then if you’ll come with me, we’ll get you paired up.”

:>O<:

* * *

 

And that should have been that. The young man, whose name, she learned, was Jerome, had quickly and expertly (ex-purr-tly? she wondered) paired her with a soft white Sleep Cat and a cute Brown Wake Dog. They’d all gone home and settled in and that should have been that.

But it wasn’t. Or well, it was at first. The first few weeks were wonderful. She cuddled her Sleep Cat when she wanted to go to sleep, and set the signal for her Wake Dog to come and wake her up when she wanted to be awake. They all played and ate and slept and woke and worked together seamlessly, and Anna began to wonder why she’d been so afraid to do this. She should have done it years ago.

But then, things got harder. She’d be ready to go to sleep, start cuddling her Sleep Cat, and her Wake Dog would come and chase the Cat away. When she needed to be awake, her Sleep Cat would come prowling around, and before she knew it, she’d be out like a light, no matter what she’d been doing.

The day she woke up after one such incident to find her apartment full of smoke and her dinner a burnt ruin in the kitchen, she grabbed her keys and headed back to the Athame Store nearly in tears.

“Why? Why is this happening??” she shouted hysterically to the person who met her at the door.

“We’ll get to the bottom of it, don’t you worry.” Obviously used to people like her, they led her back to a comfortable area with couches and low tables, got her a drink, and quickly left to find her someone who could help her.

In a matter of moments, Jerome returned. “What’s the matter?” he asked kindly, offering her a tissue. “I hear the pair bonding isn’t working for you?”

“It did. At first. And now it’s not. And the roast. Then there’s that file I’ve got to work up for McKinley. By Tuesday, the old fart. And...”

“Whoa, there.” Jerome held up a hand to stop the torrent of words. “I think I know what your problem is.”

“You do?” And at that moment, she again could have kissed him, if she’d been sure that everybody would have taken it in the spirit it was meant.

He nodded. “I do. I see this a lot, in fact. The thing is, you’re not being whole-hearted with your requests, so the Critters are confused. When you say you want to go to sleep, there’s a part of you that doesn’t, so your Cat leaves, or is chased off. When you say you want to be awake, there’s a part of you that wants anything but, so your Dog leaves, your Cat comes, and you fall asleep. And then, well,” he shrugged eloquently “bye-bye roast.”

She took a deep breath, let it out. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she could see where she’d done exactly what Jerome was speaking of. She’d been so mixed up herself, that no wonder her Critters were confused.

The question was… what now?

“Yeah, that’s been happening,” she admitted. “So… now what do I do about it?”

“Ask for what you truly want and need from your Critters is the biggest thing. Everything else should fix itself after that.”

“How do I do that?” she asked softly to herself. There was so much about her job that she liked, but the soul-crushing pace wasn’t among them. Still, how could she do less and still expect to keep ahead of all the others out there, just waiting for her to fail? She couldn't, that’s how.

And yet, she’d made the choice. Once you were paired with a set of Consciousness Critters, you couldn’t go back. The few times she’d heard about someone trying, well, let’s just say it hadn’t ended well. For anyone.

“Take care of yourself first.” Anna jumped. She hadn’t been expecting an answer and to hear one so suddenly startled her.

“But how can I? My job, my boss, all those ambitious young things at the office….”

“Look,” Jerome broke in. “May I give you a piece of advice?”

She nodded.

“If I were you, I’d be asking myself how could you not?” He reached out, took her hands in his. “You came here, needing a pair of Concerned Consciousness Critters because your sleep schedule had gotten so messed up that you couldn’t function any other way. Chances are, you came because your doctor told you you needed to do something, and fast.” She looked up at him, wide-eyed. He shook his head. “Nothing but the fact of a lot of years of experience.” At her quizzical look, “A) I grew up here. My parents own this franchise. B) I’m older than I look.”

She nodded her comprehension and he went on. “Anyway, it sounds to me like you have a choice to make – is your job that important to you, important enough to give your life for? Or, maybe, is there something else that is out there? Something that doesn’t make you choose between your health and your job.” He let her hands go, sat back and watched her, waiting to see what she would do, how she would react.

She let out a long breath, sighed. “You’re right. I’ve known for a while that I’ve needed to make a change, but I just didn’t have the guts to do it. I guess now, I don’t have a choice.”

Jerome shook his head. “We always have choices,” he corrected gently. “What changes is how good they are for us.”

She smiled tenuously and rose. “Thank you for your time, Jerome, and your help. All of it. I’ve got to go home – I have Critters to apologize to and a letter of resignation to write.” A fierce look flew over her face. “Or maybe a declaration of independence.” Her expression grew serious. “And then, I get to figure out what I’m going to do for money while I figure out what this job that doesn’t want to hurt me actually is.”

Jerome grinned at her. “You could always come work here. I hear the pay and benes are pretty good.”

“Really?” she asked, surprised. “I never would have guessed.”

“Really. Here at the Athame Store, we make magick happen. That includes good pay and a great benefits package, all from working at a little retail establishment, at the Crossroads between What Is and What Can Be.”

“You know, I might just take you up on that. But for now, I’m going to get home and make those apologies and write that letter. Take the first steps and all that.”

“Good choice. I’ll be here if you ever want to check out the employment opportunities.”

“Sounds good. Thank you again, Jerome. You’ve been a real help and I deeply appreciate it.” Again, she thought about kissing him, but settled for a good firm handshake instead. “Blessings to you and yours.”

“And to you.”

And with that, she walked out of the Athame Store, her head held high, a plan firmly in mind, already feeling better than she had in years. She couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Between getting communication re-established between her and her Critters and the furor she was quite sure would erupt over her letter, it was going to be some interesting times ahead for sure.

The one thing she knew was, she was going to love every minute of it.

:>O<:

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> ##### On my hubby's and my way to visit our housie this year, we realized that what to others might seem to be a simple homegoods store by name of 'At Home', looks like it's something quite different, thanks to a graphic designer who didn't pay attention (or maybe did and is laughing hysterically at this very moment) to the shape of their design. You take a house-shape for your 'o', and suddenly, it become an 'a', which gives it quite a different meaning.
> 
> ##### So, us being us, I felt it an imperative to immortalize this thought in fiction somewhere. It ended up being here. Enjoy!


End file.
